This invention relates to aircraft refueling and, more particularly, to night aerial refueling of aircraft.
It is fair and accurate to say that, with regard to night aerial refueling of aircraft, there presently exist in the art two problems which materially hinder such refueling. Firstly, if the aerial refueling receptacle fairing and surrounding fuselage of the receiving aircraft are not adequately illuminated, the depth perception of the operator of the refueling boom of the refueling aircraft is inadequate, and adversely effects the efficient refueling of the receiving aircraft. Secondly, if the aerial refueling receptacle fairing and surrounding fuselage are too brightly illuminated, objectional glare sources are created, likewise adversely affecting the efficient refueling of the receiving aircraft. Therefore, what is needed in the art and is not presently available, is a means of providing adequate lighting of the aerial refueling receptacle fairing and surrounding fuselage of the fuel receiving aircraft, whereby the loss of depth of field and glare are eliminated or, at least, are reduced to an immaterial minimum.
We have invented such a means; and, thereby, we have significantly advanced the state-of-the-art.